“Forget it.” Shi Hao murmured softly, shaking his head. His current identity was far too sensitive. If exposed, there would be no place left for him in this world.
Suddenly, Shi Hao noticed something unusual—the girl was not alone. There were protectors around her, so discreet that only someone with his dual-pupil vision could detect them among the seemingly unrelated bystanders.
This only deepened his caution.
“Some people’s cultivation is truly profound,” Shi Hao muttered. Even with his dual pupils, he couldn’t gauge their depths. They felt like endless starry skies, unfathomable.
“Looking for death? Can’t you watch where you’re going?” someone barked. It was an elephant-headed humanoid, towering in stature, with a long golden trunk and two snow-white tusks sharp as blades.
“Scram!” Shi Hao glared. This City of Sin was indeed lawless—this brute had clearly bumped into him on purpose, trying to extort him.
“You think you can just walk away after hitting me? Hand over twenty spirit herbs or a treasure artifact, or you’re not leaving,” the elephant-headed man sneered, his golden trunk coiling toward Shi Hao’s arm.
A hybrid of golden elephant and human, this creature inherited the strengths of both races—monstrous strength far surpassing ordinary beings. But the moment his trunk wrapped around Shi Hao, the young man seized it and hurled him to the ground with a thunderous crash.
The crowd gasped. Among fellow Venerables, this human’s raw strength was terrifying—flipping a golden elephant-headed man with one arm was nothing short of extraordinary.
Shi Hao moved swiftly, looting the fallen Venerable clean. This was the law of the Bloody Plains—most here were outlaws, and he was merely playing by their rules.
Ahead, the girl glanced back, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before she continued on her way.
Shi Hao strolled casually, subtly closing the distance between them. He wanted answers—why was she here?
The girl had a fine figure and pleasant features, but compared to her true radiance, this disguise fell far short.
Memories of the past flooded Shi Hao’s mind, pulling him back to the lower realm, years ago.
He maintained a steady pace. As they passed each other, he sensed several auras brushing over him—at least True God-level experts!
Ordinary folk wouldn’t notice, but Shi Hao’s senses were razor-sharp, honed by multiple supreme techniques.
“Yun Xi,” he silently mouthed the name.
Back in the Hundred Shattered Mountains, they had brawled like wild beasts, rolling in the dirt, and he’d even bitten her delicate ear—an unforgettable encounter for both.
For a long time, Yun Xi had loathed him. A goddess in the eyes of the younger generation from the ancient divine mountains, revered by all—except one brat who’d dared to tussle with her, biting her more than once.
“Her status now is extraordinary,” Shi Hao mused. Traveling with divine protectors, and such formidable ones at that—time had changed everything.
Whether friend or foe from the lower realm, encountering someone from that world was rare enough to stir emotions.
Their relationship had been hostile at first, but over time, it mellowed. Before Yun Xi left the lower realm, they’d journeyed together, even visiting Stone Village. The villagers had mistaken her for his bride.
Especially when Shi Hao and Second Baldy helped the Heaven-Mankind Clan repair the ancient teleportation array, sealing their alliance.
Second Baldy had even proposed a marriage pact between Shi Hao and the Heaven-Mankind Clan. It was then they discovered that the “pendant” of great significance had already been taken by Shi Hao years ago—when he’d bitten Yun Xi’s ear.
Though awkward, the Heaven-Mankind Clan never asked for it back.
“In a way, she’s my wife?” Shi Hao chuckled inwardly, finding the reunion bizarre.
Yet, they couldn’t acknowledge each other. His identity was too volatile. Who knew if their past bond still held weight in this treacherous upper realm?
He dared not risk it. If the Heaven-Mankind Clan turned on him, disaster would follow.
“How’s Second Baldy?” Shi Hao wondered about Kong Qiu Ji’s fate. The old bird had ascended with the Heaven-Mankind Clan years ago.
Without looking back, he walked away—passing by Yun Xi like a stranger.
“Listen up! The Bloody Plains are about to erupt in chaos! The White Wolf Mercenaries are recruiting—generous pay for those who join!”
The city buzzed with recruitment. Tension hung thick as major factions bolstered their ranks.
After a night’s rest, Shi Hao prepared to leave. Though he’d found an old acquaintance, he chose to let the moment pass.
At the city gates, caravans, lone cultivators, and mercenary bands gathered, ready to cross the plains.
“Young man, need an escort? Just a few spirit herbs,” an old mercenary offered.
“No thanks,” Shi Hao declined.
“Bold lad, traveling alone when the skies are about to change,” the old-timer remarked, impressed.
“Change how?” Shi Hao asked.
“War’s coming. Heavenly Gods are descending—chaos awaits,” the mercenary whispered, though he knew little else.
Outside the gates, Shi Hao saw the truth in his words. Few dared to travel solo; mercenary business boomed as groups banded together.
Not one to stand out, Shi Hao joined the old mercenary’s small band—the Whirlwind Company, a dozen strong, led by a Deity-Fire expert.
Even small outfits here had divine-tier members. Their convoy numbered over a hundred, dwarfed by the massive mercenary armies ahead.
To his surprise, Yun Xi was among Whirlwind’s charges.
“Why choose a weak team?” Shi Hao puzzled. His dual pupils revealed her hidden protectors—some nearby, others disguised in larger groups.
“Something’s off,” he realized. They were hiding, evading something.
As they set out, Shi Hao gaped at the exodus—tens of thousands, spanning races from winged folk to silver vines, mammoths to humans.
“Damn it! The plains are locked down—no teleportation, barely any flight,” someone grumbled.
“Quit whining. Survival’s the priority. Should’ve stayed put,” another muttered.
Rumors swirled: “Heavenly Gods are coming. The Reincarnation Mercenaries warned of bloodshed.”
Then—
A colossal silver spear, mountain-sized, pierced the sky, its aura crushing. The earth trembled as it struck, annihilating an entire mercenary band—two thousand souls erased in an instant.
Blood painted the ground. The spear’s wielder, a silver-armored Heavenly God, stood atop it, coldly surveying the carnage.
“Judgment begins. Those hiding—step forward,” he declared.
When a mercenary captain protested, the god flicked a finger, exploding him on the spot.
No explanations. No mercy.
Shi Hao’s heart clenched. Yun Xi had tensed, her fists tightening briefly.
This “change” was tied to her.
And now, standing so close, he was caught in the storm.
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